For CFIs who instruct in C150/152s...

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Walboy

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Walboy
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I have a 150 and found one instructor who turned me away because he was 225, pounds that is. Maybe if I started in winter rather than early summer it would have been different. Luckily my instructor is 160 and I am 170 and still we don’t put more than 18-19 gallons in it.
 
I've had a CFI explain things would not work well on that day - he's about 180, me 190, and it was 98F at a 5,500MSL field. Don't remember if we took a Cessna 182 or went for ice cream.
 
I'm about 215 and use a C152 at the flight school here. We do go with a lower fuel load. Fortunately the 3-4 152 students I enjoy torturing, I mean instructing, are a lot lighter. Once in awhile a guy will call me to work him over, uh, work with hm, in his C150. He's lighter than me too.
 
In a 150, I haven’t, in a AA1 which is similar, once.
 
I am a body positive CFI and I don’t do primary training so I don’t get to turn people down.
 
I only weigh 140 and I have a hard limit of 200 pounds for a "student" (private/instrument/commercial etc). Of course I can take a student that weighs more than that with minimum fuel, but I'll only do that for a one-off (flight review, rental checkout, etc.) because if such a person is going to being flying more than every now-and-then it becomes too much of a hassle to make sure the fuel is at the appropriate level every time. Plus the DPEs mostly weigh 190+.
 
I can on,y have a student at 140lbs max for the 152. Being I am 6’2 I avoid the 152 at all costs. Not enjoyable being crammed in there.
 
I'm not very active right now, but at 145 I don't have much trouble teaching in a 150... it's been a big advantage and incentive to stay reasonably thin.
 
I had a hard time finding an instructor that would fit with me in a Grumman Yankee. Luckily the local DPE is a rather small lady so we were legal for the check ride.
 
My DPE for the PPL was 270 if he weighed a pound. Fortunately I only weighed about 130 in those days. During pre-flight, he asked me how many bricks we could carry with us, and I think my frightened look was rated as a "pass" on that aspect of flight planning. (He was an excellent DPE, BTW. Great sense of humor and full of good advice. He also flew with my for my IR checkride--the AA5 was a lot better suited for our loading--I was no longer so skinny by then.
 
My flight school kept the four 150s tanks at 3/4 full for this reason.
 
We have one at our school, the two cfi guys that use it are approx 150 lbs each. I flew in it once with them, i weigh 170. It seemed to perfom fine 3/4 full at sealevel in Texas. I quit scheduling it since i wanted to train in the 172 instead. Cfi suggested i pick one model and stick with it.
 
I used a 150/152 to teach for many years and never had any issues. Two 200 lb guys with full tanks could be a problem though.
 
I did my PPL checkride recently in a 152 with me and the DPE totaling 390 lbs. Airport altitude >5000 ft. August. We did not have full tanks. ;)
 
compilotrc said:
I used a 150/152 to teach for many years and never had any issues. Two 200 lb guys with full tanks could be a problem though.
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Two 150 lb. guys with 3/4 tanks was too much on one hot day; one mile from the end of the runway there's a 400 foot hill—we had to turn because we couldn't make it without skimming the trees. Of course, a 150 used for training likely wouldn't have the full 100 horses in any case, even at sea level!
 
Kenny Phillips said:
Two 150 lb. guys with 3/4 tanks was too much on one hot day; one mile from the end of the runway there's a 400 foot hill—we had to turn because we couldn't make it without skimming the trees. Of course, a 150 used for training likely wouldn't have the full 100 horses in any case, even at sea level!
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When I was teaching as a CFI, most of the time it was in a 152. I weighed 180ish pounds and the student weights varied. I personally didn’t have any issues. A 150 would be a different animal though.
 
When I first got my PPL, the flying club manager had me go pick up an IA to sign off a 337 on another aircraft. I was flying a well worn C-150 trainer. The flying club manager was a retired Navy pilot. And, the IA was also a DPE.

The manager told me to go fly and on my way back pick up the IA. When I saw the guy, he must've seen the concern on my face. He was husky, at least 250lbs. I shut down and he put the seat all the way back to get in. Then, slid it as far forward as he could tolerate it. Then, he said "We'll be just fine. Use the whole runway. Don't do any aerobatics. And, don't get too slow." We didn't climb very fast. But, we made it ok. I've never done that since.
 
Walboy said:
Why is that? The useful load is similar in both models. Granted the 152 has a few more ponies.
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The 150 has a 5.1% lower power-to-weight ratio, which becomes rather noticeable on short runways and/or hot days.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
Only when we would be over weight
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If we are close to Gross with reasonable fuel, I just explain the differences and challenges. I have yet to have anyone pick the 150 after they sit in it, almost all just do the 172
 
I did a discovery flight once for a lady whose husband had described her on the phone as *healthy size*. When they showed up I realized he understated the description. That’s a tough spot to be in.
 
Being able to instruct in our 152 is the main reason I am at the gym right now.

Which reminds me… Back to the weights!
 
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